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The Best Aquarium Filter Setup Your Fish

Having a Koi or goldfish pond or aquarium alone does not satisfy your needs as a serious Koi keeper. In order to be most effective you need to have filters installed in the Koi or goldfish pond or aquarium. The filters will make it easier for you to keep a clean environment for your fish. You see, without a proper filter for your Koi or goldfish pond, the fish will eventually die from the variety of wastes and toxins that they produce. Making sure you have the best aquarium filter possible will give your fish more life

The number of fish you are planning to keep determines the size of your pond. It also determines the number of filters you need. The number of fish determines the rate at which they produce waste. Because of this, you need to counteract the amount of waste they produce with the proper number of filters. Otherwise, waste could build up and your fish can die.

1. Biological filters – Biological filters actually work based on natural processes found in nature. The nitrogen cycle is the basis for the mechanism of this type of filter. Although a lot of other artificial filters available in the market today, having a biological filter can be quite cost effective. One of the main types of biological filters for your Koi or goldfish pond or aquarium is the rock filter.

The rock filter consists mainly of an air pump and some rocks on which bacteria grow. These bacteria clean out the water by removing harmful chemicals.

2. Mechanical filter – The mechanical filter cleans your Koi or goldfish pond or aquarium by taking solids out of it. There are three main types of mechanical filters:

Surface skimmer- This Koi or goldfish pond or aquarium filter works by sucking any solids at the surface of the pond. This gets rid of sticks, leaves or any other floating matter. A filter trap inside the mechanism needs to be cleaned regularly in order to ensure the proper working order of your filter.

Vortex Chamber – this is a sort of combination of the two other types of filter. A vortex chamber works by circulating the water so that it can be filtered in the bottom. This frees you Koi or goldfish pond or aquarium from any waste material.

3. Chemical filter – This is considered by many to be the most effective, albeit most expensive type of filtration for a Koi or goldfish pond or aquarium. It involves stripping the chemicals out of the water directly and halting the nitrogen cycle completely. Common types of chemical filtration are:

Activated carbon – Activated carbon works, by allowing water to pass through its porous surface. It then strips ammonia directly from the water by attracting the molecules. It is one of the most well known types of chemical filtration and is often used in filtering drinking water.

Zeolite – This is a substance that forms when alkaline water reacts with volcanic ash. This is a porous substance that takes ammonia from the water pretty much using the same method as activated carbon. It, however, is a much cheaper substitute, although it does need to be thrown out after use. If you are planning to keep your Koi or goldfish pond or aquarium for a long time, it probably is better to go with activated carbon.